The present invention relates to an optical-electrical composite connector. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical-electrical composite connector having a housing that can accommodate an extra portion of an optical fiber.
In a conventional optical connector such as a conventional optical-electrical composite connector, when an optical fiber is connected to the conventional optical-electrical composite connector, the optical fiber typically has a sufficient extra portion within the conventional optical-electrical composite connector. Since the optical fiber is formed of a glass fiber, it is not resilient against a bending force. Therefore, when the optical fiber has such an extra portion, it is possible to stably secure the connection between the optical fiber and a connecting device. However, if the extra portion of the optical fiber becomes too long, a wiring design of the conventional optical-electrical composite connector tends to be complicated. Therefore, it is a common practice to cut the extra portion of the optical fiber in a short length. Once the extra portion is cut in short, however, it is difficult to recover a whole length of the optical fiber. For this reason, in order to be flexibly applicable to various actual applications, it is preferred to secure such an extra portion as far as the configuration allows.
When the conventional optical-electrical composite connector has such a configuration, the housing thereof needs to have a certain size. It would be difficult to handle the conventional optical-electrical composite connector if the conventional optical-electrical composite connector has a small housing. Therefore, it is necessary to form the housing of the conventional optical-electrical composite connector to have a certain sise, so that it is possible to secure a space for the extra portion of the optical fiber (refer to Patent Reference).
Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2012-88571
FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b) are schematic views showing an example of a conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100. The conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100 includes a housing that can accommodate an extra portion of an optical fiber. More specifically, FIG. 11(a) is a side sectional view of the conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100. FIG. 11(b) is a top sectional view of the conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100.
As shown in FIGS. 11(a) and 11(b), the conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100 includes a circuit board 108, an auxiliary board 115 provided on the circuit board 108, an optical-electrical converter 109 and a wiring portion 117 provided on the auxiliary board 115, a housing 111 to accommodate the circuit board 108 and other devices provided thereon, and an electric pin 105 for connecting to an external device.
In the conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100, optical fibers 102 are optically connected to the optical-electrical converter 109. The optical fibers 102 are drawn out from an optical cable 104, and have a curved portion 112c in the housing 111. The housing 111 includes a first housing body 119 to accommodate the optical-electrical converter 109, and a second housing body 120. The optical fibers 102 are introduced in the second housing body 120 via the first housing body 119, and are turned at the curved portion 112c and arranged towards the optical-electrical converter 109. Furthermore, the second housing body 120 includes a pair of side flat sections 120d and 120e. The side flat sections 120d and 120e can hold the curved portion 112c in between by pinching the curved portion 112c against an elastic force thereof while the curved portion 112c is being bent.
According to the conventional optical-electrical composite connector 100, the optical fibers 102 have the extra portions 113. The extra portions 113 of the optical fibers 102 are disposed on one side of the circuit board, especially above where the auxiliary board 115, the optical-electrical converters 109, and the wiring portion 117 are provided. The extra portions 113 of the optical fibers 102 are not disposed on the other side of the circuit board 108, i.e., in a relatively large space under where the auxiliary board 115, the optical-electrical converter 109, and the wiring portion 117, the extra portions 113 of the optical fibers 102 are not disposed. It should be noted that a dotted line under the circuit board 108 in FIG. 11(b) indicates wires 103, and does not indicate the optical fibers 102. There is no optical fiber 102 under the circuit board 108, and the lengths of the extra portions 113 are limited.
In view of the problems described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an optical-electrical composite connector that can solve the problems of the conventional optical-electrical composite connector.
According to the present invention, the optical-electrical composite connector includes a housing that, can accommodate the extra portion of the optical fiber without complicating a wiring design thereof. Moreover, in the optical-electrical composite connector of the present invention, it is possible to effectively utilize a space inside the optical-electrical composite connector.
Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description of the present invention.